Life and Living
by Casteline
Summary: The war was over. Some had survived. Some hadn’t. Some didn’t have the strength to live on. Post NFA.
1. Thoughts

**Title: **_Life and Living_

**Summary: **_The war was over. Some had survived. Some hadn't. Some didn't have the strength to live on. Post NFA. _

**Pairings:**_ None really. Minor-ish hints a Angel/Spike slashiness in chapter three.

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_**Life and Living **_

_Part I : Thoughts _

Ironic. A bit pathetic. Dramatically anti-climactic. What a way to die.

They had won. Spike hadn't the foggiest idea of how. A thousand demons pitted against the small – minute – army. But they had won. And with limited casualties.

Lorne was still alive. Somewhere out there, he had escaped the battle. He had run, and while Spike normally viewed this as cowardly, he was glad his green friend had escaped.

Wes had died fighting Vail. No. Died killing Vail.

Gunn had, in fact, died. But he had lasted three minutes longer than Illyria had predicted. And for that, amongst other things, Spike held a great respect for the mortal.

Fred… No, not Fred. Illyria. Fred was lost long ago. Illyria had survived. Of that Spike was sure. He hadn't seen her die. Didn't have proof that she had lived either, but if he had somehow survived, he had faith that she did too.

And Angel. Captain Forehead was alive – well, not alive. But not dead either. This he was sure of. Angel was lying unconscious beside him as he examined the irony of it all.

They had survived. Thousands of demons against them and somehow they'd won.

But there was a problem. He was weak. The battle had drained him of all strength. He had been lying in the narrow alleyway for what felt like hours, though in reality was probably only a couple of minutes.

So he just lay there, completely vulnerable to anything that may or may not choose to attack. He lay there, watching as the sky changed from black to reddish, two words hanging in his thoughts.

"Oh bullocks."

Because what a way to die.

He'd survived the war with the senior partners.

Only to burst into flame the second the sun began to show its bright, shiny face.

"Oy, Angel-face," he grunted, attempting to swing his arm at his fellow vampire. He had the decency to at least warn him of his impending doom. On second thought, it would be kinda funny…

"Eugh?" the other man grumbled.

"Wake up."

"Why?"

"Because we're about to die."

"That's nice," Angel smiled drunkenly. "Wait, what?" he asked, still not totally awake.

"Sun's about to rise."

"We should probably get out of here," Angel said, not moving.

"Probably," Spike agreed, completely motionless.

"Tired."

"Yep."

"Going back to sleep," Angel closed his eyes.

"Liking that plan." Spike closed his eyes and drifted of into what would be his final slumber.

**The End **

_For now._

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Please review, it makes me smile.


	2. Choices

**Title:** Life and Living

**Summary:** The war was over. Some had survived. Some hadn't. Some didn't have the strength to live on. Post NFA.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own. If I did…

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**_Life and Living_**

_Part II : Choices_

It was a strange dream. Not that his dreams were on average normal, but this dream was strange. So strange he couldn't be totally sure that it was really a dream.

A glowing figure. So bright he could make out the exact color. Or maybe there wasn't an exact color. Maybe it was every color, swirling as one.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"_We are the dawn of what's to come.__And the memory of what has already passed._"

"What?" he was completely mystified.

"_We are everything that is, was, and will be._"

He was still perplexed, but chose not to voice his confusion.

"Am I dead?" he asked instead.

"_Last I checked,_" the figure said. "H_ave been for quite a while too.__Though I suppose that's not what you meant._"

"Not quite. Where am I?"

"_Everywhere.__Nowhere.__Take your pick._"

"Very with the cryptic, eh?" He asked. Then paused. That statement made no sense. He had spent way to much time with the Scoobies, he decided.

"_You will die soon.__For good this time.__Are you ready to die, William?_"

"How do you know my name?" he asked.

"_This is your dream, is it not?__Answer the question, William._"

"Am I ready to die?" he asked. The figure nodded. "I've lived a good life. And death."

"_That does not answer the question._"

He stood in silence for a moment, thinking. Was he ready to die? He thought about Buffy. Was he ready to give up completely on her? He should have called her the second he was resurrected in L.A. Or at least the second he became corporeal again. And now it was too late. Did she even want to see him? Last he had checked she was a bit preoccupied with the Immortal. Damn Immortal.

And then he thought of Angel. If there was any chance Angel would survive, Spike had to be sure that he wasn't alone. No way in hell was he going to give his granddaddy sire the chance to steal Buffy from the Immortal. If he couldn't have her (which he knew he never would), neither could Captain Forehead.

"_Not to rush your thoughts, but time is not something we have in great abundance._"

"No," Spike finally said. "I'm not ready to die."

"_Very well.__And Spike,_" the figure finally called him by his preferred name. "_Don't waste it,_" she said, then waved her arm and whispered something barely comprehensible.

**The End.**

For Now.

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I've come to the conclusion that this story is utterly pointless. Not that I'm surprised by this. There is one more chapter and then its over.

Reviews are loverly.

Ella


	3. Prophecies

Okay, so I was thinking of leaving it the way it was, but I thought that I should at least wrap things up for you guys a little. So here it is, the end of the line. Happy reading.

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_**Life and Living**_

_Part III : Prophecies_

"Ugh." Every muscle in his body hurt. Through his eyelids he could see that it was very bright wherever he was. He tried to open his eyes, but his head did not seem to like that plan.

"Morning Peaches," a familiar voice said, slightly distorted as though he was eating..

"Spike," he growled. "You mind turning the light off?"

"Sorry Sweets. Can't control that light. Feels nice though, this time of day. I'd almost forgotten…"

"Almost forgotten what?" Angel asked, sitting up, eyes still closed.

"What the sun felt like. Come to think of it, I think maybe I did forget. 'S nice though. And cheeseburgers. Don't think I've ever eaten something to satisfying. Though that one slayer…"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Open your eyes," Spike commanded.

"Hurts to," Angel said, attempting to open them.

"Baby."

"Excuse me!"

"Baby," he said again. "You're a chicken shit."

Angel leapt in the general direction of Spike's voice.

"That's a trashcan love," Spike said, taking another bite of his burger as Angel landed face down in a pile of garbage.

Angel growled and opened his eyes slightly.

"We're outside," he said. "In mid-afternoon."

"Mmmhmm," Spike replied.

"Care to explain why we're not bursting into flames?"

"Not a clue. I had a strange dream though…"

"I'm sorry, major weirdness going on here, but you had a bad dream, stop the presses," Angel said sarcastically.

"If you'd let me finish. This glowing figure came to me-"

"Oh my, you had an encounter with God-"

"Quiet. She asked me-"

"God's a woman? Should've known. Was she blonde?"

"Would you shut the bloody hell up and let me finish my story. She asked me if I was ready to die and I said no."

"Why couldn't you have just done us all a favor and said yes? Yes, you were ready to die."

"Shanshu!" Spike shouted.

"What?"

"That was the last thing she said before I woke up here. Shanshu."

"So you think…"

"What else would explain it?"

"So…"

"We're human."

"Yeah. Burger?" Spike held out his half eaten hamburger.

**The End**

_Probably for good._

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Reviews are wonderful and it makes me happy :)

Ella


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